Reunion from the Pit
by Takara Phoenix
Summary: The moment Nico and Percy (and the rest of the crew) were reunited after Percy and Annabeth were freed from Tartarus, Nico realized that he could never lose Percy again, not like this or any other way. They grow closer during their time spend in the infirmary after the war. Much closer and Nico ends up helping Percy heal. Nico/Percy slash Nicercy


PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || Reunion from the Pit || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO

Title: Reunion from the Pit – Percico Positivity Project Day XI

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; during Blood of Olympus

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, PTSD, possessiveness, h/c, kinda dark but with a happy ending

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo

Summary: For the _Percico Positivity Project_ – so there's not just Percico but also some Nicercy in this. ;) This is for today's fill – _Reunion_.

After Percy returned from Tartarus, Nico knew he could never lose Percy again.

 **Reunion from the Pit**

 _Percico Positivity Project Day XI_

Percy was beat down, he was too thin and with deeper and darker shadows under his eyes than should be humanly possible. His hair was greasy and messy. His clothes were torn, singed and about ninety percent crusted blood at this point. But the most terrifying thing were his eyes. Those lively, bright, beautiful eyes were dulled and actually a bit crazed.

And still he was the most beautiful sight Nico had ever encountered in his life. Not out of 'he looked so pretty' kind of reasons, but because he _was alive_. He was alive. He had returned from Tartarus and he was still alive and it knocked the air straight out of Nico.

His quest with Jason, as humiliating and emotionally painful as it had been, but it was worth it. It was so worth it, because Percy was alive and Nico was here to see it and Nico never wanted to lose Percy again. He could never lose Percy again. The thought was ripping his heart apart.

Annabeth was alive too.

That thought was crushing his heart. Sure, he hadn't wished for her to die, but... Maybe a tiny little dark nagging voice in the very back of his head _had_ wished for it. She was the biggest obstacle that stood between him and Percy. Well, not that Nico had the guts to even tell Percy about his feelings. Which was probably the main reason why he was semi-okay with Annabeth hanging off his arm, because if Nico couldn't muster the courage to confess, why shouldn't Percy be happy...?

/break\

Percy wasn't happy. Who had returned from the pit wasn't carefree, cheerful, happy Percy. Nico noticed. Well, he didn't have too much else to do, what with being on strict bed-rest in the infirmary thanks to a very annoyingly bossy son of Apollo. Coincidentally, so was Percy. He had taken a lot of hits during the final battle and there was still the aftermath of Tartarus.

He was there to watch the crumbling of Percy's and Annabeth's relationship. The infirmary didn't allow much privacy, not for the two of them either. Percy and Annabeth were forced to stay close to each other, even though that was the last thing they wanted. Nico learned that Annabeth was afraid of Percy. Afraid. The mere thought even hurt Nico, he couldn't possibly grasp what it must do to Percy. Apparently, Percy had done things in Tartarus that Annabeth couldn't deal with.

It made Nico angry, in a paralyzed and numb kind of way. Didn't Annabeth understand that they had been fighting a war? Whatever it was that Percy had done, he surely had done it to protect the both of them, because that was just what Percy did. Protect everyone. Will, as persistent and annoying as he was, had hammered it home to Nico that what he had done during the war had been a necessity. Reyna too, she assured Nico that Bryce's death had saved others.

Percy was damaged. He was broken from the inside. It made Nico feel even more drawn to Percy, because the darkness and death Percy had caused were calling out to Nico. Nico was a creature of the underworld, he would forever be drawn to darkness and death, because it belonged to him. It was _his_. It should be his. Percy and his darkness and all the death he had caused should be Nico's.

Annabeth checked out from the infirmary first. It was only Percy and Nico now. They started talking. Really, actually talking, which was a strange concept for Nico who had spent years hiding and avoiding not just Percy but also social contact in general. Now he was suddenly having actual conversations. About mindless stuff like modern pop-culture.

Percy was tortured by nightmares. He would scream and sob and trash in his sleep. Nico tried to stay away, not getting involved. Like that had ever worked when Percy was involved. He used his power of dream-walking to check on Percy during a particularly bad nightmare.

It was what Nico had anticipated. A flashback to Tartarus. The smallest things triggered Percy into flashbacks these days; scents or tastes, even extreme heat. Percy was fighting a goddess, the goddess of poison. Nico remembered encountering her too. Percy was holding his own weight quite well, but the dream-Annabeth next to him looked more and more terrified the farther Percy went. Nico could visibly see the shift from actual flashback to nightmare fantasy. Percy killed the goddess and Annabeth started crying and screaming how she couldn't recognize him anymore.

"Stop it!", called Nico out loudly and angrily. "Stop making yourself so small, Percy!"

Percy snapped out of it and turned toward Nico with large, frightened eyes. Nico stalked up to Percy, unsure what to do, but the decision was taken from him when Percy just collapsed. Frowning, Nico knelt down and pulled Percy into a slow hug, patting his back.

"I nearly killed her", blurted Percy out, a sob wrecking his body. "I nearly killed a goddess and now Annabeth always looks at me so wearily and I can't even look at myself anymore and I don't know who I am anymore. Who am I... now that the war is over? I'm not the savior anymore..."

Nico paused, unsure what to say, for a long moment just caressing Percy's hair. "You're still a savior. You're... your own savior, Percy. The wars are over and you're... hurt. You are very hurt."

"My ribs and all are nearly healed", mumbled Percy defensively.

"Not physically. Mentally. Now it's your turn to save yourself", corrected Nico firmly. "And I know you can do that. You can, Percy. Because you're stronger than anyone I know. And... now it's time for you to wake up, okay Percy? This is Tartarus, even if it's just a dream."

The dream slowly faded out and when Nico woke up, he turned to see Percy curled together on his own bed next to Nico. He was curled together so tightly that Nico got out of his bed and walked over to Percy. They had been sharing this infirmary for a solid month now.

"Percy...", whispered Nico slowly, sitting down on the bed.

"I don't know if I can save myself", admitted Percy. "You're... somehow doing it. After everything. After you were in T... down there, all on your own, you're... pulling it together. When we were reunited, after we found you, I thought you looked like a shadow of yourself, but... you worked it out somehow. I don't know if I can. Not even Annie can love me anymore, how could I...?"

Nico hummed in agreement. He knew what Percy was talking about; after his trip to Tartarus, Nico felt pretty much broken too, but somehow he really had to reach his lowest point to get back up again. Percy curled together around Nico tightly and Nico slowly embraced him.

"I'll help you", promised Nico, whispering into Percy's hair. "Because... I—I... love you. Please don't say anything back, I just... need to get it off my chest and you need to hear it. I love you."

Percy didn't shy away, he stayed where he was, safely tugged into Nico's embrace.

/break\

The reunion of Percy and Sally helped Percy's mental state a lot. She was his anchor, his mother, the one who had always loved him and always would. It made things for Nico easier. Even though Nico moved back into Hades' palace – because it was _home_ , it was where he was safe – he kept visiting camp and visiting Percy. He kept helping Percy through his nightmares and troubles.

Coincidentally, that also helped Nico.

Despite what Percy may think, Nico hadn't fully managed to pull himself together either. He was still working on it too. Will and Jason and Reyna were helping, because they were... friends. His friends. Nico had friends. And Nico had a Percy. He wasn't sure what Percy was exactly, but Nico knew that he _had_ Percy. They were friends at this point, that much was sure. Nico was Percy's helper, his anchor too in a way, also his guide and therapist in a way. And Percy in return was somehow all of those things for Nico too, because he gave Nico a focus and purpose.

"So, how's school?", asked Nico casually as he sat down on the fire escape.

Percy looked up from his homework, blinking slowly. Nico frowned as he noticed that Percy was only wearing boxer-shorts and a loose shirt – well, he did appreciate the sight, but it was early January and blasted cold in New York. Nico shed his leather jacket and put it over Percy's shoulders. The Sea Prince ducked his head to hide the slight pink on his cheeks.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? I've been doing high school for years now. It's only been four months for you", huffed Percy, putting his school stuff down and sighing.

"How are you doing, in general?", asked Nico cautiously. "It's been... half a year now. Your nightmares, it feels like they're getting fewer. They don't call me out so often anymore."

Nico had managed to react to Percy's nightmares, like a high-pitched frequency only he could pic up. And these days, he wasn't getting out of his own dreams to comfort Percy from flashbacks quite as often anymore. Oh, they were still there and when they were there, they were there with a vengeance. Nico slowly sat down next to Percy, bumping shoulders with him.

"It's fine, I guess. I'm attending school with Lou and Cec, you know, that makes it better", shrugged Nico casually. "Though... what about you? That... girl you were talking about, the one that asked you out? Did... you decide on your answer yet? It's not polite making a lady wait."

"I guess it's good you're not a lady then", chuckled Percy with a half-smile, making Nico frown and freeze – they had deliberately decided to ignore Nico's confession so far. "I went on a date with her. She's... nice. Sweet. But... that's not what I want. She... is mortal, she'd never understand what we've been through. I don't think anyone will ever understand what _I_ went through. No one aside from Annabeth and you. And... Annabeth gave up on me – on us. You haven't given up on me. And... I couldn't stop thinking about you during the date and... I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you... still feel that way about me, I would... really really like to... try this?"

"I'm not an experiment", warned Nico with a frown, staring deeply into Percy's eyes. "I still love you. I _love_ you. I'm not in on this for you to try out something new, Percy."

"That's not it", whispered Percy and shook his head. "I'm... I'm bisexual. I mean, I've had feelings for Luke and... I guess that Annabeth also had feelings for Luke was what drove us together. Shared grief and all. So, it's not like I'm exploring my sexuality with that. I know I like guys just as good as girls, I'm not gonna judge by gender, that's... just not me. But I mean, you and I, we've formed... a bond. We're friends now and I... I _need_ you in my life. You helped me through the toughest phase of my life. I don't know if we'll work out as a... couple, but I couldn't... lose you if we don't."

"You're not gonna lose me", promised Nico and laid his hand into Percy's neck, drawing him close until their lips touched softly. "You will never lose me, Percy. Regardless of what will happen."

 _~*~ The End ~*~_


End file.
